Based on one statistic, there are approximately 34 million diabetic in United States. Nearly all of them would need to measure their blood glucose levels multiple times a day. To test blood glucose levels, a meter, a test strip and a lancet device to draw blood is required. The lancet device uses a single use disposable lancet.
Cost of use of such disposable lancets is borne by the health care system and ultimately the patient. The used lancets also create a medical waste disposal issue and require infrastructure for the safe disposable of the sharp medical waste.
Governments have come to realize the problem associated with safe disposable of sharp medical waste as the people on their own discard such waste in the household waste. Despite the growing problems associated with improper disposal of sharps outside health care facilities, there are no consistent regulations or guidelines for their safe disposal.
Current EPA guidelines, suggest disposing all sharps (needles, lancets, syringes) in a household plastic container or coffee can, secure the lid and write do not recycle on the outside and simply deposit in household trash.
Unfortunately, this does not take the needle out of the waste stream—it simply ends up in the general household trash putting neighbors, children and waste workers at risk of needle stick injuries.
Laws at State level have been enacted to address this problem. As an illustration of the magnitude of this problem of sharp medical waste disposal, following excerpts from a California law SB 1305 are quoted below.
SB 1305, Figueroa The Medical Waste Management Act.
This bill would, on or after Sep. 1, 2008, prohibit a person from knowingly placing home-generated sharps waste in certain types of containers, provide that home-generated sharps waste shall be transported only in a sharps container, as defined in the act, or other container approved by the department or local enforcement agency, and provide that this waste shall only be managed at specified locations consistent with existing law.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The development of a safe, convenient, and cost-effective infrastructure for the collection of millions of home-generated sharps, and the public education programs to promote safe disposal of these sharps, will require a cooperative effort by the State Department of Health Services, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, local governments, large employers, dispensing pharmacies, as well as health care, solid waste, pharmaceutical industries, and manufacturers of sharps.
SEC. 2. Section 117671 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
117671. “Home-generated sharps waste” means hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications derived from a household, including a multifamily residence or household.
SEC. 4. Section 118286 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
118286. (a) On or after Sep. 1, 2008, no person shall knowingly place home-generated sharps waste in any of the following containers:
(1) Any container used for the collection of solid waste, recyclable materials, or green-waste.
(2) Any container used for the commercial collection of solid waste or recyclable materials from business establishments.
(3) Any roll-off container used for the collection of solid waste, construction, and demolition debris, green-waste, or other recyclable materials.
(b) On or after Sep. 1, 2008, home-generated sharps waste shall be transported only in a sharps container, or other containers approved by the enforcement agency, and shall only be managed at any of the following:
(1) A household hazardous waste facility pursuant to Section 25218.13.
(2) A “home-generated sharps consolidation point” as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 117904.
(3) A medical waste generator's facility pursuant to Section 118147.
(4) A facility through the use of a medical waste mail-back container approved by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 118245.
It is the objective of the embodiments herein to address the many problems associated with the use of lancets for the home-users as described above.
It is the objective to reduce the cost to the users directly and health care system indirectly of the disposable lancets for home use. It is yet another objective to make task of using lancets less cumbersome and with fewer steps. It is yet still another objective to reduce the cost of the infrastructure for disposing such sharp medical waste as required by the State laws.